Maternal estradiol and progesterone concentrations among singleton spontaneous pregnancies during the first trimesterAbstractBackgroundPregnancy hormonal milieu represents a crucial determinant of fetal outcome. We aim to determine 17 β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PGT) concentrations in spontaneous pregnancies during the first trimester. In addition, we aim to determineE2 concentrations as a function of gestational age (GA) and PGT.MethodsBetween November 2015 and March 2017, 104 healthy women of at least 18 years undergoing medical consultation for voluntary interruption of pregnancy were enrolled in an observational study at University Hospital ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milan, Italy. Only singleton pregnancies betwee...Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 15, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Clinical inertia, reverse clinical inertia, and medication non-adherence in type 2 diabetesConclusionsBoth clinical inertia and medication non-adherence remain significant barriers to optimal glycemic targets in type 2 diabetes. Moreover, part of clinical inertia may be a way through which clinicians face current uncertainty in medicine, including some dissonance among therapeutic guidelines. Scientific associations should find an agreement about how to measure and report clinical inertia in clinical practice and should exhort clinicians to consider reverse clinical inertia as a cause of persisting inappropriate therapy in vulnerable patients. (Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation)Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 6, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

The epigenetic landscape in the cardiovascular complications of diabetesAbstractA growing body of evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications —changes to the genome that do not involve changes in DNA sequence—may significantly derail transcriptional programs implicated in angiogenesis, oxidative stress and inflammation, thus fostering cardiovascular damage in patients with diabetes. Notably, adverse epigenetic signals acquired over th e life course can be transmitted to the offspring, and may contribute to early cardiovascular phenotypes in the young generations. Hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance—key hallmarks of diabetes—induce an array of epigenetic modificati...Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 5, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Genome-wide association analysis suggests novel loci for Hashimoto ’s thyroiditisAbstractPurposeHashimoto ’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common form of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Current knowledge of HT genetics is limited, and not a single genome-wide association study (GWAS) focusing exclusively on HT has been performed to date. In order to decipher genetic determinants of HT, we performed the fi rst GWAS followed by replication in a total of 1443 individuals from Croatia.MethodsWe performed association analysis in a discovery cohort comprising 405 cases and 433 controls. We followed up 13 independent signals (P Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 3, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Treating varicocele in 2018: current knowledge and treatment optionsConclusionsVaricocele repair seems to represent a cost-effective therapeutic option for all males (both adolescent and adults) with a clinical varicocele in the presence of testicular hypotrophy, worsening sperm alterations or infertility. On the other hand, some investigators questioned the role of varicocelectomy in the era of assisted reproduction. Thus, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of varicocele-associated male subfertility is of paramount importance to elucidating the deleterious effects of varicocele on spermatogenesis and possibly formulating new treatment strategies. (Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation)Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 3, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Genome-wide association analysis suggests novel loci for Hashimoto ’s thyroiditisAbstractPurposeHashimoto ’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common form of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Current knowledge of HT genetics is limited, and not a single genome-wide association study (GWAS) focusing exclusively on HT has been performed to date. In order to decipher genetic determinants of HT, we performed the fi rst GWAS followed by replication in a total of 1443 individuals from Croatia.MethodsWe performed association analysis in a discovery cohort comprising 405 cases and 433 controls. We followed up 13 independent signals (P Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 3, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Treating varicocele in 2018: current knowledge and treatment optionsConclusionsVaricocele repair seems to represent a cost-effective therapeutic option for all males (both adolescent and adults) with a clinical varicocele in the presence of testicular hypotrophy, worsening sperm alterations or infertility. On the other hand, some investigators questioned the role of varicocelectomy in the era of assisted reproduction. Thus, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of varicocele-associated male subfertility is of paramount importance to elucidating the deleterious effects of varicocele on spermatogenesis and possibly formulating new treatment strategies. (Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation)Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - October 3, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Adipose insulin resistance is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndromeAbstractPurposeThe effects of adipose insulin resistance on cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remain largely unknown. We aimed to investigate associations between adipose insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors in PCOS.MethodsA total of 207 PCOS and 47 non-PCOS women were recruited from a large reproductive medicine center in this cross-sectional study. The PCOS diagnosis was based on the Rotterdam Criteria. The subjects received a standard oral glucose tolerance test. Adipose insulin resistance was evaluated using a validated index (adipose-IR = fasting insulin&thins...Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - September 12, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Usefulness of TSH receptor antibodies as biomarkers for Graves ’ ophthalmopathy: a systematic reviewConclusionWe conclude that the level of TBII may not be a reliable indicator of the current state of GO in pre-treated patients. Whereas, in post-treated patients, due to changes in the correlation between TBII and TSAb due to the effect of hyperthyroidism treatment, the level of TBII can be a more reliable indicator of GO. Furthermore, the current level of TBII is closely associated with the onset and severity of GO in the future and it can be a valid predictor of GO. However, the TSAb level appears to be more reliable. (Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation)Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - September 7, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

The efficacy of HRAS and CDK4/6 inhibitors in anaplastic thyroid cancer cell linesAbstractPurposeAnaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATCs) are non-responsive to multimodal therapy, representing one of the major challenges in thyroid cancer. Previously, our group has shown that genes involved in cell cycle are deregulated in ATCs, and the most common mutations in these tumours occurred in cell proliferation and cell cycle related genes, namelyTP53,RAS,CDKN2A andCDKN2B, making these genes potential targets for ATCs treatment. Here, we investigated the inhibition of HRAS by tipifarnib (TIP) and cyclinD-cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) by palbociclib (PD), in ATC cells.MethodsATC cell lines, mutated or...Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - September 6, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research

Serum antibodies against the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) in Graves ’ disease and Graves’ orbitopathyAbstractBackgroundA role of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) in the pathogenesis of Graves ’ orbitopathy (GO) has been proposed, but the existence and function of anti-IGF-1R-antibodies (IGF-1R-Abs) are debated.MethodsWe designed a cross-sectional investigation to measure serum IGF-1R-Abs by a commercial assay in consecutive patients with Graves ’ disease (GD) compared with healthy subjects and patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). A total of 134 subjects were screened including 27 healthy subjects, 80 GD patients (54 of whom with GO), and 27 AT patients. The main outcome measure was the ...Source: Journal of Endocrinological Investigation - August 21, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research